La Roca Ends Delhi's Wait For Its First World Tapas Bar

In this blog post, I cover La Roca, an authentic World Tapas Bar in Aerocity Delhi.

Delhi's wait for its first World Tapas Bar has just ended with La Roca. Yours truly was there last week to review the property and see what the buzz was all about!

Entrance at La Roca

When you think about Tapas per se, the first thing that comes to your mind is small plates. Now picture this. If you had to experience small plates inspired from not just Spain but major cuisines of the world, paired with all-natural signature cocktails, how would that make you feel? I, for sure, was super-duper excited to visit La Roca, the newest entrant to Delhi's growing list of concept restaurants.

Interiors at La Roca

As a globetrotter, whenever I travel to a new place, I always make sure to experience the local food. I may have not tried everything, but I have a reasonably good understanding of the global cuisine. If someone can bring me closer to the authentic food of a region, without sacrificing on the local ingredients and cooking techniques, you have me invested from the word go. If served with love, you'll have my undivided attention till the last dish is brought on the table.

Fillet of Sole Chili Garlic Grilled Broth Ramen and Veggies

Lobster and Bisque with Pickle

Mixed Seafood Salad

Octopus with Pear and Radish Chutney

What impressed me the most about La Roca is that Chef Akshay Bhardwaj returns to his roots, serving what he knows best! His inspiration to not astray too far from the deep-rooted Spanish tradition yet still trying to be innovative is genuinely commendable.

Chef Akshay Bhardwaj, Corporate Chef, Eastman Colour Restaurants

The chef introduces us to a menu comprising globally inspired modern Tapas; not just that, he pairs the food with an eclectic selection of wines and top-shelf spirits from Nectar, the uber-chic 'all-natural' craft cocktail bar at La Roca.

Nectar - The Bar at La Roca

True to its name, La Roca, which is Spanish for The Rock, the restaurant succeeds in bringing in a menu that's not just innovative but fun and quirky too!

LED Lights at La Roca

The decor at La Roca is like the icing on the cake. If you're like me who appreciates great art and design, you'll instantly feel a connection with the high energy vibe of the restaurant, which changes across the course of the day, transforming from a refined dining experience to a more pulsating mood at night.

The service is personalized, and the staff pays great attention to detail, which is impressive, to say the least!

Walk into this impeccably designed restaurant, courtesy acclaimed architect and interior designer Sumessh Menon, who along with his team has given La Roca a distinct, timeless quality. Kudos are also in store for famous restaurateur Dinesh Arora, who keeps defying stereotypes every now and then.

Dinesh Arora, MD, Eastman Colour Restaurants

La Roca has the best of iconic Spanish structures fused with modern elements to create a visual masterpiece like no other. Spread over a sprawling 3250 sq. ft., the restaurant provides 110 covers with a sense of varied energy running through every corner.

Seating at La Roca

The stunning flagstone flooring, which dominates the entire expanse, is custom-made using a locally sourced stone. For me, the visual highlight was the horseshoe-shaped bar with an intricate elliptical motif design.

The elegantly vaulted ceiling design, reminiscent of breath-taking cathedrals in Spain, was sculpted out of an otherwise rigidly square space; the result of Menon's travels to the South of Spain. Even the bar display at the back follows the arched shape of the ceiling set against a background of a bronze mirror.

The muted finish of the ceiling creates a canvas for 3D video mapping of progressive content, which varies as per the mood and time of day. A raised pod seating area is defined by an intricate railing.

The walls display striated pinewood finish on one side and a play of textures and materials including veneer, bronze mirror, exotic stones and metal frames on another.

The pleasing colors of beige brown, grey and splashes of burgundy add the final touch.

Coming to food, La Roca's food speaks one universal language – the need to congregate with family and friends over a leisurely meal. The kitchen brings together fragments from all over the world and strengths derived from every major cuisine to create a pioneering menu of signatures as well as firsts.

Beetroot Carpaccio with Goat Cheese and Candied Walnuts

Parmesan and Only Parmesan Spaghetti

Tuna Tartar with Avocado

From the city's only fresh eel nigiri to introducing Tuscan poposo stew, Argentinian chappa bread and La Roca's trademarked Coco and Soil dessert – each dish is made up of several influences.

Inspired from chef's travels across the globe and a reflection of the food that he ate at people's homes and backyard BBQ's in Denmark, Canada, South America, and Singapore – La Roca is a treasure trove of some of the world's best bar food served elegantly.

Traversing European, Asian, American and, closer home, Indian culinary traditions – multiple styles and recipes have been studied, adapted and incorporated to create one cohesive menu.

From my favorite Lamb Khurchan Bao to the delectable Bucket Pide, the Lobster and Bisque to Savoury Goat Cheese Churros – you'll find the imprint of months of research and the drive for perfection in every dish.

As the city's first tapas-only menu, the intent is for diners to order at least 3-4 signatures to partake in a global gastronomic journey, rather than filling up on big portions. In fact, even the menu itself is categorized uniquely based on the flavor profile with Dough, Fresh, Smoke, Umami, Crunch, Saucy and Sweet.

In keeping with the need to turn more sustainable, nothing goes waste, and every part of the ingredient is respected, with even the fish being brought in whole and not filleted to ensure freshness and maximum usability.

Going beyond the ordinary, the kitchen keeps experimenting with textures, so the sabutdana tostada is as essential to the dish as the garlic and carrot puree crisp on the side of your risotto. Along with this, there's also a range of in-house marinades, sauces, and dips made from scratch each day.

Nectar – The Bar at La Roca is Delhi's first all-natural cocktail bar, infusing a slower, more natural process to the art of mixology and ditching sugary concoctions. Cocktails here are crafted using cold pressed juices, fresh herbs, and homemade infusions. Time, care and creativity are the hallmarks of each cocktail.

Cold Pressed LIIT

Scarlett

The Blue Fashioned

Nectar brings lesser-known spirits to the forefront by creating a diverse range of cocktails using bases like the Absinthe Green from Italy, the traditional Japanese Shochu, the amber colored Pisco from Peru and Chile, the potent Umeshu from Japan and, the more famous Sake.

Saffronization

Opt for a signature concoction celebrating a medley of colors across Violet, Pisco Plum, and House Negroni to name a few.

Violet

Pisco Plum

House Negroni

If cocktails are not your tipple, try one of the slowly aged in-house infusions, like the Vanilla Pod, Infused Dark Rum, Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime Leaf Infused Gin among others.

Nitro Jamaican Coffee

The sangria bar at La Roca is a rage with both white and red wine lovers; traditionalists are happily surprised with their classics, single malts, wines, white spirits, liquors, and beers.

As the sun sets and the music gets louder, rev up your evening with a selection of shots like the Forest Fire – flaming orange liquor drowned with Kahlua, Baileys, and mint vodka or La Roca Shot – a combination of Absinthe, pisco, and gin.

The perfect destination for leisurely lunches paired with wines, a quick bite over an aperitif or a buzzing night out set to the resident DJ's mixes – La Roca is breaking new ground. It is a must visit place, I kid you not!